Patriots Deal With Costly Injuries As Prepare To Meet Jets

Jerod Mayo #51 of the New England Patriots is carted off the field after an injury against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 12, 2014 in Orchard Park.

Jerod Mayo #51 of the New England Patriots is carted off the field after an injury against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 12, 2014 in Orchard Park. (Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images)

*Keys to the game: Just as the Patriots were starting to re-establish themselves as a legitimate AFC contender, they were bodyslammed by season-ending knee injuries to RB Stevan Ridley and ILB Jerod Mayo.

Ridley energized a ground game that helped QB Tom Brady rebound behind an offensive line that struggles in pass protection. Third-year back Brandon Bolden, who has averaged just 1.7 yards on 15 carries on the season but is now asked to play the complementary role to versatile Shane Vereen, will have the mothballs dusted off this week. Before writing off the freefalling Jets, their strength lies in a defensive line that can be dominant and if New England's ground game falters. Rex Ryan's scheme has a long history of turning Brady into a mortal.

The question is, how many points do the Patriots need to best Geno Smith & Co.' Smith continues to struggle with inaccuracy, while New England enters with the league's third-ranked pass defense. The Jets must establish RBs Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson on the road in primetime, and against a defense scrambling to replace Mayo. TE Jace Amaro leads the team with 24 receptions, which isn't going to win any rookie of the year awards, but he does have 18 catches over the past three games and can serve as a reliable check-down option for Smith, who gets into trouble when forced to make decisions on the move.

*Matchup to watch - Patriots offensive line vs. Jets defensive line: It will likely be game time before we know who will be lining up to protect Brady. OGs Bryan Stork and Dan Connolly are recovering from concussions, which forced Ryan Wendell back to center while Josh Kline and Jordan Devey finished last week's game. The Patriots likely will have to dial back the game plan in an attempt not to allow Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison and Sheldon Richardson to make a late-night snack out of Brady.

*Player spotlight - Patriots LB Deontae Skinner: The undrafted rookie who was cut in August will be one of the multiple players asked to step up in the absence of Mayo. Skinner had a sack on a delayed blitz last week, but coordinator Matt Patricia is burdened by the short week in attempting to devise the plan to compensate for the loss of the Patriots' defensive leader.

*Fast facts: Smith has completed just 45.5 percent of his passes with one touchdown, two interceptions and a 47.8 passer rating on the road this season. … Five of the first six Thursday night games this season have been decided by 20-plus points, with the average margin being 25 points.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

The Thursday night schedule has been a dog fest outside of Houston's mad scramble that ultimately fell short last week. If for no other reason than Ryan gives Brady headaches and New England enters beat up on a short week, CBS at least gets a competitive divisional battle.